Jace Ferran
Jace Ferran is the son of Clara and Caden Ferran, born in 2329. He is also the younger sibling of Keryn Renner. While Jace comes from a line of powerful Force users, he was born without the skill. However, he was born a Skulblakan-Hybrid, developing other powers. He later became the new leader of Zeta Wing, a commando squad named for the revered fighter group that was disbanded decades earlier. History Jace, the second child of Caden and Clara Ferran, was born three years after his sister Keryn and the galaxy wide Hybrid Riots. His parents immediately felt the lack of connection to the Force and knew he would grow up differently than his sister. As Clara took a deep interest in Keryn, Caden quickly joined Jace's corner. A bond immediately formed between the two, much stronger than normal paternal ones. This caused Jace to be very close to his father throughout his life, while he felt slightly more distant from his mother. As a child, Jace did not attend any formal schooling, instead being allowed to study on his own accord. He skipped many of the advanced topics that would be covered in formal schooling, as he predicted they wouldn't be needed later in his life. Instead, he began studying history, politics, and like every Ferran, combat. Both Clara and Caden saw his natural ability for quick thinking and combat, but since Clara was already training Keryn for most of the day, Caden was needed to become Jace's mentor. At the age of 12, Jace had already begun training with guns, blasters, knives, and hand-to-hand. However, Jace was unhappy with just this due to seeing so much of his immediate family be artisans with a lightsaber. Caden allowed Jace to design his own blade, which Caden then built for him. After showing promise as a swordsman, Caden built a second one for him as well. By the age of 14, Jace had also began using a double-bladed saber and had passed Jedi students of the same age in skill level. However, also at the age pf 14, other abilities began to manifest themselves. It was seen that Jace had developed Skulblakan powers, meaning that he was a Hybrid, just like the ones his father fought years before. Jace, knowing of Caden's history with hybrids, was heartbroken at first. Even though his father had been working on integration efforts for the Skulblakan Hybrids for the last 16 years, the thought of disapproval haunted Jace. To Jace's glee though, Caden embraced his son and his new found powers, encouraging him to master them just as he had with all of his other endeavors. By the time he turned 15, Jace had a strong handle on his limited Skulblakan powers. Now, Jace simply itched for new tests for his abilities and skills to be tested. His father Caden quickly granted that wish. For six months, Caden and Jace stayed in the Intergalactic Republic, guests of their military leaders. There, Jace was able to study and practice nearly every tactic and method in history, including training with the Uthre Order, a collection of the most powerful Jedi, Sith, and Imperial Knights in the Republic. Also in this excursion was a one month long survival trip to the uninhabited planet of Karaxis, labeled as the 'deadliest place in the galaxy.' Upon the duos return, Jace began renewing his friendships with other Skulblakan Hybrids throughout the base. The most notable of them was Rhett Progmer, a hybrid that helped open the door to his father's acceptance of them. These friendships continued to strengthen to the point that minus his family, Jace spent more time with the group of Hybrids than normal people. Upon the start of the Aryoril crisis, Jace was furious he could not accompany the task force. With many of his family and friends going to war, Jace once again immersed himself in his combat and tactic studies. This study continued for a time, with even another trip to the Republic with Rhett thrown in. When the Reaper War began, it was Jace's first true taste of battle. He quickly volunteered for front line operations, which took him away from his family for long periods of time. He just escaped death when the Reapers caused the Romulus System's star to supernova, leaving on a refugee ship only a few hours before the system's destruction. A few months later, Jace was in command of forces on a medium sized colony world being assaulted by Reaper forces. After four months of holding out, the Reapers finally blockaded the planet and the Coalition forces folded. After another two weeks the planet was lost, save for a few small outposts. One of these outposts, where Jace was stationed, came under massive Reaper attack. As the outpost fell, Jace himself was overrun by Reaper forces and was designated Missing in Action. However, Jace was beyond fortunate. He was transported by a Rift Storm and thrown forward ten years. Here, the Reapers were on the verge of winning the war and the majority of resistance had been wiped out. There, he met the future version of his mother, Clara Renner, who had survived up until then. She explained what had happened over the last ten years and concluded that a Rift Storm was indeed what had saved him. Jace, intent on finding a way back in order to continue the fight when there was still hope, was told by his mother of a prototype Rift Storm Generator which was under construction during the war. However, the space station it was on fell and was currently deep within Reaper controlled space. Clara and Jace, along with Clara's current second-in-command, Julian Gray, devised a plan top rally a group of specialists to infiltrate the station and use the device. Clara spared a ship for Jace, and he, along with Julian, went in search of the other needed individuals. The pair landed a few miles outside of a prison camp on another world, which was home to one of the needed individuals. The pair sneaked aboard a train transporting new prisoners to the camp. However, they were discovered once inside the camp and captured. The two eventually escaped and fought their way to their target's cell, releasing all other prisoners on the way to create a distraction. They found who they came for, discharged UNSC ODST and later SPARTAN Samantha Jay. Jay informed them that they were not in a prison camp, but rather a slave camp used to create goods for whoever was left to buy them. From there, she led them to the base's command center. After Jace and Julian were able to clear away the guards, Samantha executed the base's commander in an act of revenge and simple decency to the base's prisoners. They left soon after she retrieved her armor and weapons. Jace, along with the other two, then traveled to a small jungle world where they attempted to find a survival specialist that was supposedly on planet. Instead, they found the specialist dead, along with a large amount of destroyed equipment. However, they followed what they believed to be survivor tracks into the jungle. There, they came under fire by arrows before being attack by a native predator. Before Julian could be killed by the animal, it was killed from an unknown marksman. Jace found the marksman, who now had him in scope. Jace talked the shooter down, and learned that the shooter's name was Vanessa Cado, an eighteen year old girl who had been stranded on the planet for ten years. She agreed to join Jace in exchange for passage off world, which was readily agreed to. The group then traveled to a hidden Hellcat Squadran-UNSC research station in order to find what they believed was an incredible technical doctor. However, they found the station under attack by Reaper destroyers. Desperate, the group entered the station in a 'smash and grab' mission. They found the doctor, a Sangheili named Ror 'Atuee, fending off Reaper forces. After the Reapers were defeated, Ror engaged Jace in a duel, still feeling like he was fending for his life. Jace defended himself, but broke off their engagement in order to kill oncoming Reaper troops. Jace gained Ror's respect with this and allowed him to speak. Jace explained himself, to which Ror agreed to join them. However, he revealed he was a medical doctor, not one focused on technology. He insisted that he could still do whatever was needed, however. The group went to escape as more Reaper forces began to engage. The station began to fall apart, opening up to the vacuum of space. While most sealed their armor and suits, Jace's began to leak oxygen, as it was damaged in his duel with Ror. Once they stole a new UNSC Prowler, Vanessa revived Jace. During the ensuing travel, Jace confronted a disgruntled Julian. The two became physical, but Jace left before it escalated further. From here, Jace and the group exited Slipspace near Sanghelios, the Sangheili homeworld and where the research station was located. There, they were surprised to find Clara and what was left of her troops waiting for them. They rendezvoused and went to assault the station together. Their ship collided with a Reaper fighter, causing them to crash land into the side of the station. Jace was ejected from the craft and rendered unconscious for a short time. When he awoke, he inspected the wreckage to find survivors. He found most alive, however, Julian and Vanessa had gone missing. Jace led the remaining group into the station, where they were ambushed by Reaper troops. Quickly, though, they were dispatched by the newly returned Julian and Vanessa, who had come from farther in the station. Jace and the others followed the pair back into the base. They soon encountered a large Reaper force outside the generator. After taking heavy fire and forcing to split up, they were able to clear the area and begin working on repairing the device. They succeeded, but Reaper vessels began to fire on the station, ripping it open. Most of Clara's troops were sucked out of the station, while Samantha, Julian, and Clara's new second-in-command James were able to get through the generator's portal in time. Quickly, Jace was able to get Clara to use the Force in order to maneuver Vanessa and an injured Ror through the portal. As the station fell apart, Clara also threw Jace into the portal as well, sacrificing herself to save him. Once on the other side, Jace and his group, minus James, came under fire from a new group of Reaper forces. They were surrounded when Jace's calls for help were answered by a flight of Phantom Legion gunships, led by his father Caden Ferran. Caden informed Jace that he had been missing for nearly six months and was now on the Outer Rim world of Eriadu. Jace and his group assisted Caden and the Legion in repelling the Reaper invasion, saving the planet. Back on Earth a few weeks later, Jace was given the idea by his friend Rhett Progmer to reform the ancient group Zeta Wing using the others he had recruited. They all agreed, with Rhett joining as Jace's 1st Lieutenant. After the war, Jace was touring a nearby city on Earth with his parents, his aunt and uncle, as well as his grandfather. While performing charity work in the city's poorer districts. The escapade went south, however, when a sniper took a shot at Ethan, hitting his neck. After a failed pursuit of the terrorist by Caden and Loran, in which Caden was injured, Ethan died before medical help could be administered. Following the funeral, Caden brought Jace with him to attack a pirate base that was believed to be related to the murder. After engaging a number of pirate mercenaries, Jace forced Caden to leave the combat zone after his father began to fall into a fit or rage and destroy anything in the area, including civilians and buildings. This continued fit of violence by Caden led Jace to tracking his father down on the planet of Lehon, where Caden attempted to activate an ancient Rakatan superweapon that would be used to drain Dark Side Force energy from every living being in the galaxy, killing them. Jace was forced into a duel with his father, and after early struggles, Jace was able to unlock his Hybrid Vakning. This enabled him to defeat his father before returning home, where he began to struggle from depression for some time. In 2375, a rogue starfighter and a pair of frigates unexpectedly entered the Yeldon system, engaging each other in battle above Kahn. While ground based ion cannons disabled the two frigates, the starfighter was allowed to land at Zeta Wing's base above Bastion, whereupon it was discovered the pilot was deceased, but wearing an advanced armor suit. Rhett Progmer, along with a squad of Zeta Wing stormtroopers, boarded the two frigates, only to find them slave-rigged to a computer. However, one survivor was found and was taken back to Bastion for questioning. This man, Shepard Freeman, had nearly no recollection of the events prior to Rhett finding him. After questioning the Shepard and analyzing the three rogue ships, they were tracked to a compound on the planet of Karaxis, deep in the intergalactic void. Jace, along with the rest of Zeta Wing, boarded two shuttles in order to learn why these ships had been sent to Kahn. Shepard, after forming a quick friendship with Vanessa Cado, asked to join the group's mission in order to try and regain lost memories about his life. Jace begrudgingly agreed and forced Freeman to stay with him at all times. Shepard was allowed to be outfitted with the advanced suit that was found on the dead pilot a few days prior. Once they entered Karaxis' atmosphere, anti-aircraft fire destroyed one of the two shuttles, stranding Jace, Katalena, Julian, Shepard, and Wolf a few kilometers outside of the compound. Jace ordered the other dropship to continue to the base, where they landed safely. It was also discovered that the planet had an extremely high concentration of Skulblakan ore within its crust, dampening Hybrids' powers to a large extent. As Jace and his squad made their way towards the others, they were attacked by the native wildlife, including a multi-story tall creature that spewed a lava-like substance. Thanks to the help of Shepard and the sharpshooting skills of both Vanessa and Ror 'Atuee, the creature was killed, allowing Jace and the others to make it to the base, regrouping with the rest of Zeta Wing. Upon entering the facility, Julian became separated from the others. While struggling to find him, the group began setting explosives in order to blast their way through a set of doors leading deeper into the compound. However, they were ambushed, a large sonic boom knocking them through the suddenly open blastdoors. Once they had recovered, Jace saw the explosives, still not detonated from the failed door breach, strewn around them. The explosives were detonated by the ambushing party, severely injuring Ror while also hurting the others. Looking up, Zeta Wing saw that they were now surrounded by a squad of mercenaries. They were commanded by Dr. James Alcyon, the previous 2nd-in-Command of Clara Renner who had traveled back in time with Zeta Wing during the Ancient Reaper War and head scientist on the project that led to Samantha Jay's enhancement. Alcyon, holding a mortally injured Julian at gunpoint, revealed his plans to wage war through the use of Erachi-powered superweapons. He released six Erachi he had under his control, former students of Keryn Renner's who had gone missing a year before. The base, now discovered to be not only a ship, but the superweapon that Alcyon had created, lifted into the air. His mercenaries killed Julian and launched his body, as well as the rest of Zeta Wing, out into the wilderness. After surviving the fall, Jace and the others began forming a plan on how to return to the galaxy. Jace hypothesized that if Rhett were able to get high enough in the air with a jetpack and away from the Skulblakan ore infused soil, he would be able to use his powers to create a portal back home. They succeeded, with most of the group teleporting onto Alcyon's ship undetected, the only exception being Katlyn Dvorakin, who was sent back to Bastion to serve as their eyes and ears. The ship exited Hyperspace near the orbit of Kahn, preparing to use the planet as a testing site for the weapon. The group split up; Jace, Katalena, and Vanessa attempting to secure Alcyon and the Erachi while Ror, Samantha, Shepard, and Wolf tried to disable the ship's power reactors. Rhett, meanwhile, left the ship. He used his powers to fly closer to the planet in an attempt to protect the planet in case the weapon was fired. As Ror and the others were engaged by part of Alcyon's mercenary squad, Jace's group stormed the ship's bridge, but were handled easily. Both Jace and Vanessa were seriously injured, while Katalena's weakened powers left her helpless. Alcyon, confident in victory, focused the power of his six Erachi and fired the blast towards Kahn. Rhett began absorbing the energy, but struggled against the sheer amount of power. With Ror's squad being overpowered, Alcyon began preaching to Jace, revealing that it was he who had killed his grandfather, Ethan Ferran, as well as infected his father, Caden, with nanobots. These allowed him to control Caden, forcing him to do his bidding. When he was defeated by Jace on Lehon, Alcyon also rebuilt the fallen hero, forcing Clara Renner to kill her husband once and for all. Enraged, Jace's anger led to a spike in his power, overcoming the Skulblakan ore and leading to him unleashing his Vakning in its strongest form ever witnessed. Jace defeated the pair of mercenaries and killed Alcyon, getting his revenge on the man who had destroyed his family. The Erachi, no longer seeing the need to attack Kahn, turned their sights on Jace. He defeated two of the six, but a timely intervention by his sister, Keryn, helped lead to the defeat of the other four. During the fight, however, Alcyon mercenary team was able to escape. Before Keryn could follow them, she was called by Rhett, who requested her presence. The power he had absorbed from the six Erachi began destroying his body, and unless sent out, would cause a supernova within the system. He asked for a portal to another plane, where he could unleash the power safely. Keryn obliged while Jace, overhearing the conversation through his comlink, yelled for other options. Rhett disintegrated in space with Keryn nearby, dying in action. In 2376, following the Collapse, the death of his sister, and the chaotic changes to the Coalition's remnants, Jace moved from Earth to the Core Worlds along with the rest of his family and friends. While Zeta Wing became based out of Coruscant, the new Coalition capital, Jace and Katalena began residing on Hesperidium, one of the planet's moons famous for its resorts. For the next three years, Jace led Zeta Wing on numerous missions to help keep the government together during the period of galactic turmoil. At the start of 2379, when Salarian colonies beyond the edge of the galaxy began going dark, Jace and his team were sent to gather information from an anonymous informant on Zonju V. The informant was Jace's great-grandfather Ryan Ferran, believed to had died on Mandalore during the Collapse three years prior. It was learned that during this time, he had been mapping the 'Intergalactic Maze', a system of wormholes, pocket dimensions, black holes, and other anomalies that created nearly impassable areas of space between galaxies after the Collapse. Using this information, Jace led a small strike for from the Jericho into the maze in an attempt to find the missing colonists. The first colony visited, Mor'Shul, was found to be completed destroyed, the entirety of the planetary crust destroyed, leaving nothing but seas of lava. Personality To many, Jace appears similar to his family members in that he quickly rushes to the fight. However, this is untrue, as Jace prefers to examine and calculate his options before rushing into battle. His battlefield awareness and lightning-quick thinking simply make it seem that he does just what his father does. This translates to other areas of his life, as he can easily take things in stride as if he has had hours to contemplate them. It has even been said by others, such as his aunt, that if he were not so young, he would easily be a high ranking general. Outside of battle, Jace is seen as proper and respectful, but does allow for many moments of sarcasm and humor, depending on his company. He is sometimes described as a nerd, enjoying to spend parts of his off time reading about cultures, worlds, and tales. He also enjoys spending time researching new technologies with other scientifically inclined individuals, as well as metal working in his own workshops. Abilities and Equipment Skulblakan-Hybrid Powers Unlike the rest of his family, Jace failed to inherit a strong connection with the Force. This is partially made up for with his Skulblakan-Hybrid abilities. Jace is able to fire extremely dense crystal-like objects from his palms at incredibly high speeds, much like an oversized bullet. The crystals also tend to explode soon after being charged with electricity. Vakning Once Jace unlocked his Vakning, the strength of his Hybrid powers grew immensely. When in his Vakning, his crystals began to grow on his hands, feet, forearms, and lower legs. They eventually create an incredibly strong armor that can withstand even some lightsaber strikes. However, the crystals continue to grow, so the time Jace is able to spend in his Vakning form is minimized, lest he become fully encased in his own crystals. Also, when in this form, he is able to unlock immense Force potential buried deep within his body, allowing him to use the abilities of other Force users. As well, he also becomes a 'void in the Force', unable to be sensed beyond being an empty area in space. Mandalorian Gauntlets and Armor Jace's most versatile weapons are not traditional ones, but rather complex, intricately engineered Mandalorian gauntlets that triple as weapon carriers, forearm armor, and a small computer. In order to maximize the potential of his Skulblakan powers, his left gauntlet is equipped with a device that can fire arcs of electricity far distances. In the same gauntlet is housed a miniature wrist rocket that flips up before firing. Also utilized by Jace is a miniature flamethrower mounted in his right gauntlet, as well as a number of poison and tranquilizer darts. Installed directly above the darts and flamethrower is a small wrist computer, which contains a communicator and is connected to a variety of vehicles and other electronic devices. For close combat, four separate blades have been installed. On each gauntlet, a serrated blade is installed between the top armor layer and the various devices. The blades eject when Jace wishes, coming out over the top of his hand and extending about two inches past his knuckles. On the underside of each gauntlet is a blade modeled after those of the Assassins Order. Like the other blades, they extend on Jace's command, but much farther than the top pair. Jace's armor also includes a jetpack based on traditional Mandalorian versions. Like them, this one is able to keep him airborne for an extended period of time, as well as having a large missile able to be launched when needed. The difference, however, is that there are two channels cut into the back-plate. These allow Jace to slide his pair of double-bladed lightsabers onto his back between his armor and jetpack, resting in an 'X' pattern. One last addition to Jace's armor is that he has modified his boots in order to be more helpful in certain situations. They are both magnetized, so that they can stick to metal surfaces when needed, as well as having repulsor generators installed. This allows him to move quickly and enhance his agility while armored. Handheld Weapons Jace's primary weapons are a group of four lightsabers, two single and two double, as well as a pair of blaster pistols. While his inability to use the force created a struggle to learn the art of lightsaber combat, Jace's determination overcame an amount of obstacles. This turned him into a strong swordsman, but not to the level of the rest of his family. Much easier to learn was hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship. Jace's abilities as a martial artist quickly overtook that of his father, his main trainer, as well as both his mother and Keryn. With ranged weapons, Jace was a natural. Being ambidextrous, his skill with a pair of pistols became a sight to see. Other Following the events above Kahn in 2375, Jace took possession of the starfighter that had escaped to the planet prior to Alcyon's attack. Over the next few months, he refurbished and rebuilt the craft, dedicating much time to the craft. He also began honing his skills, becoming a fine enough pilot by the time of Kahn's destruction in 2376. Relationships Katalena Akulov: 'Growing up with Katalena as a prominent Hybrid figure nearby, Jace eventually grew to have a close friendship with her. As time went on, the pair eventually entered into a long term relationship, with them both leaning on one another through hard times. Katalena is the person Jace cares for most in his life, especially after the events involving his father in 2364. 'Caden Ferran: 'Jace's relationship with his father is the polar opposite of the one he has with his mother. While Clara took to caring for Keryn, Caden began doing the same for Jace. He has an extremely close relationship with his father, seeing him as a strong mentor in his life. Following the death of his grandfather Ethan Ferran, Jace's relationship with Caden became strained. This eventually led to them dueling on Lehon, where Jace was forced to leave his father for dead on the planet. 'Keryn Renner: Being his sister, Jace cares for his sister immensely. Early on however, Jace was jealous of his sister and felt he needed to compete with her for attention. Once his own powers began to develop, though, these feelings started to dissipate. After Keryn sacrificed herself during the Collapse, Jace was unable to properly cope with her passing due to the following chaos. Years later, the situation was one that he had still never come to full terms with. Clara Renner: Unlike many families, the relationship between Jace and Clara is not ideal. To Jace, he feels as if his mother favors Keryn over him. This has caused him to feel distant and disconnected from her, never able to keep a close relationship with her for long. During the waning months of the Ancient Reaper War, Jace and his mother had numerous breakthroughs, finally able to become closer to one another. Rhett Progmer: After the Hybrid Crisis, Rhett was around the family a lot due to a newfound friendship with Caden. Because of this, Rhett and Jace spent a good amount of time together. They developed a good amount of respect and friendship for each other, with Rhett becoming Jace's second mentor behind his father. Rhett's death above Kahn left a deep hole in his life, which he subconsciously attempted to fill with Shepard Freeman's presence. Morrigan Gustafsson: Morrigan was someone that Jace was always friendly with and enjoyed having around, even if it was partially due to the positive effects she had on Katalena. Eventually, the pair did not see each other for large swaths of time after Morrigan's departure for Mandalore. Following the Collapse and both individuals moving to the Coruscant system, they again became friends. During a mission to the Intergalactic Void, the two became emotionally intimate with each other, becoming extremely close friends, rivaling that of their relationships with Katalena. Gallery Jace Ferran Armor.jpg|Jace's Mandalorian Armor Jace Ferran's Heavy Armor.jpg|Jace's Nanotech Armor Jace Pistol.png|One of Jace's Blaster Pistols Jace Saber (Blue).jpg|One of Jace's Two Gold Lightsabers Jace Saber (Green).jpg|One of Jace's Two Green Lightsabers Jace's Lightsaber Pike.jpg|Jace's Lightsaber Staff Jace Ferran's Personal Fighter.jpg|Jace's Personal Starfighter Jace Ferran (Training).jpg|Jace training with a heavy sword on Voeld Jace Ferran's Hawkmoon.jpg|Jace's Handcannon, made for him by his daughter Category:Characters Category:Skulblakan-Human Hybrids